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Munich travel guide

The Bavarian city of Munich, centre of southern Germany, is one
of the country's favourite tourist destinations, offering a unique
combination of modern flair and traditional charm, all mixed
together with a heavy helping of
Gemutlichkeit, the special German term for hearty, happy,
healthy togetherness.

Traditionally the city, famous for its breweries and beer halls,
conjures up images of jolly red-cheeked men in lederhosen downing
steins of beer served by buxom, blonde waitresses. There is plenty
of this sort of fun to be had, but Munich and the Bavarian region
has plenty more to recommend it to visitors than the excellent
beer. The city has numerous great museums, art treasures, hi-tech
industries and gems of Gothic and Baroque architecture. It is also
the gateway to the Bavarian Alps, drawing winter sports enthusiasts
from near and far.

Munich itself was founded in 1158 on the River Isar, and
acquired its name, Munchen (home of the monks) from its first
monastery. It was the monks that started the beer brewing tradition
for which the city is now world famous, particularly since it
started celebrating an annual beer festival in 1810. Today about
six million people visit the Oktoberfest every year, and consume
more than five and a half million litres of beer during its
two-week run.

The Marienplatz is the heart of Munich and the site of its most
important historic buildings. The square is dominated by the
Neo-Gothic Town Hall featuring its famous Glockenspiel, both built
in the 19th century, although they look authentically Gothic. The
Glockenspiel delights visitors when it chimes the hours every day
at 11am, 12pm and 5pm with its 43 bells, accompanied by moving
clockwork figures that display vignettes from Munich's history. The
Town Hall has a tower that can be accessed by a lift and from the
top you get wonderful views of the city.

The centre of the square, once a vibrant farmer's market,
features a statue of the Virgin Mary after which Marienplatz was
named. Visitors can also explore a toy museum in the Old Town Hall
on the square, and the Frauenkirche, Munich's cathedral, dating
from the 15th century. The square is full of great shops and
pleasant outdoor eating areas where you can sit under trees,
refuelling, and watch the world pass by. The Marienplatz is still a
social gathering place for locals, just as it has been throughout
its long history, and although it can get a bit crowded it is an
un-missable attraction in Munich, and a must for photographers.

Munich's massive Olympiapark complex was constructed for the
20th Olympic Games in 1972, but remains a marvel of modern
engineering. Its main stadium is like an enormous tent, which can
seat close on 70,000 spectators, and is topped by one of the
largest roofs in the world, extending for 720,000 square feet
(66,890 sq metres) and made of tinted acrylic glass. The roof
collects rainwater which is used to fill the adjacent Olympic lake.
Tent roof tours (with or without an abseiling option) are on offer.
Visitors to the site can enjoy a spectacular view from the
revolving restaurant and observation terrace which tops the
950-foot (290m) high Olympic Tower. Near the tower is the BMW
Museum, which displays the history of Germany's famous automobile
manufacturer and is in itself a popular attraction. Far from being
a remarkable 'white elephant', the Park is still in constant use
not only by tourists but by locals who use it as a lively leisure
and recreational centre in the city; on more than 200 days of the
year it is the venue for rock and pop concerts, sports events,
exhibitions and trade fairs. Check the website to see what's
happening at the venue during your stay.

About five miles (8km) from the city centre, accessible by tram
and bus, is the interesting Schloss Nymphenburg, originally a
summer home for Munich aristocracy. The palace has been expanded,
altered and fitted with various eccentricities by succeeding owners
over the centuries since building began on it in 1664. Today it is
a delight for tourists who revel in exploring the villa and
grounds. Inside there are some interesting frescoes in the main
hall. An arcaded gallery features a collection of 36 provocative
paintings ordered by King Ludwig I showing the most beautiful women
of his day. The surrounding park has some surprises too, with some
interesting pavilions hidden among the English-style gardens. There
are also collections of Ludwig's elaborate coaches on display, and
a porcelain museum. There is information provided in the palace on
its history but there are also audio guides available which greatly
enrich the experience. Although you have to pay to enter the palace
you can wander around the lovely grounds for free; although, it
would be a great pity to miss the lavish interiors.

Munich's art museum houses one of the most important collections
in Europe on two floors of a large neo-classical building. Roughly
700 paintings are on display, featuring the work of many of the
greatest European artists from the 14th to the 18th centuries.
Highlights include works by Dutch and Flemish masters, as well as
the Italian masters such as Botticelli, Raphael and Titian. Famous
masterpieces in the permanent collection include Rembrandt's
'Self-Portrait' (1629), Raphael's 'The Canigiani Holy Famliy'
(1505), Guido Reni's 'The Assumption of the Virgin' (1642), and
Francois Boucher's 'Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour' (1756).
The gallery is massive, consisting of dozens of rooms, and requires
a great deal of time to explore thoroughly. Bags and handbags are
not allowed in the museum but there are storage facilities.
Photography is allowed but only without a flash. There is a
restaurant at the museum.

There are actually three art museums in the location and you can
get a discounted rate if you plan to visit all of them in one
day.

The Deutches Museum is a great stop for families exploring
Munich. It is the world's largest technology and science museum,
with roughly 28,000 artefacts on display in exhibits dedicated to
themes like Energy, Transport, Natural Science, Communications,
Musical Instruments and New Technologies. The museum is located on
a small island in the Isar River, with additional facilities
outside of Munich and in Bonn.

There is a section especially dedicated to children which is
called Kid's Kingdom and features 1,000 fun, interactive activities
including things like a giant guitar to be played, enormous
building blocks, and a fire department. It is aimed at kids aged
three to eight and all children must be accompanied by an adult.
For the grown-ups there is a wealth of interesting information and
exhibitions on topics like astronomy, chemistry, pharmaceutics,
electricity, computers, microelectronics, hydraulic engineering and
astronautics. The museum is designed to be accessible and
entertaining and even those who have little understanding of
technology and science should be enthralled.

This charming Bavarian city is a popular tourist destination,
not only for its famed Oktoberfest Festival, but also because it is
a unique destination, with a distinct character that sets it apart
from the rest of Germany.

A quaint combination of old world allure and modern flair, the
city boasts numerous attractions, including some wonderful museums,
such as the BMW Museum, Deutsches Museum, Museum Brandhorst, the
City Museum of Munich and the National Bavarian Museum, to name a
few. Head to Marienplatz to see some historic buildings and marvel
at the uniquely German architecture; visit Olympia Park and eat
lunch in the revolving restaurant from the adjacent observation
tower to enjoy breath-taking views over the city; head to the
Englischer Garten in Schwabing to relax and unwind in the
picturesque gardens, and visit Munich's second biggest beer garden.
For travellers looking for a bit more adventure, Munich is also the
gateway to the Bavarian Alps and sport enthusiasts from near and
far flock here each winter.

Visitors planning on doing lots of sightseeing should consider
purchasing the Munich CityTourCard which entitles the bearer to
free public transport in Munich and a discount on as many as 70
tourist attractions. Several versions of the card are
available.

Berchtesgaden

The name Berchtesgaden is most closely associated with Adolf
Hitler's country house, but it is in fact a delightful Bavarian
alpine village with ancient winding streets and a medieval
marketplace, popular as an excursion from Munich. Hitler's holiday
house, the Berghof, is actually at Obersalzberg about half a mile
(2km) up the Kehlstein Mountain. Afternoon bus tours to the
Fuhrer's playground can be undertaken from the tourist office in
the village, but there is little to see besides some underground
bunkers which are open to the public. Most tourists, however, do
delight in visiting the Kehlsteinhaus (or Eagle's Nest), a
remarkable building perched precariously atop the mountain,
originally commissioned by Martin Bormann as a 50th birthday
present for Hitler (although the notorious Nazi leader seldom
visited it because of his fear of heights). Today it is the site of
an excellent Bavarian restaurant and provides breath-taking views
at the end of a stunning winding mountain road.

The town of Berchtesgaden itself has some interesting
attractions, besides its 16th-century architecture and enticing
inns. There is a small wood-carving museum at Schloss Aldelsheim
which can be viewed on a guided tour. Wood sculptures, Renaissance
furniture and some art works are worth seeing at the Konigliches
Schloss, which was originally an Augustinian monastery. The most
fun to be had, however, is in the salt mines to the east of the
town, which offer guided tours. Visitors wear protective clothing
and ride on wagons to the mine, then explore the mine on foot and
ride miner's slides, finishing with a trip on the salt lake ferry.
The mine has been in operation since 1517. Berchtesgarten also
boasts a world-class ice-skating rink, the Eisstadion, which is
sought after by winter sports enthusiasts in the winter months,
along with the skiing opportunities in the surrounding area.

About 10 miles (16km) to the northwest of Munich on the
Stuttgart Autobahn is the town of Dachau, once a quiet artists'
community that became the site of the first notorious Nazi 'death
camp', where thousands of perceived enemies of the Third Reich were
imprisoned, starved, and killed between 1933 and 1945. The camp has
now been turned into a memorial museum to the prisoners (67,000
were liberated alive by the US Army on April 28, 1945). The museum
contains three memorial chapels. The Lagerstrasse, the main camp
road, still exists, lined with poplar trees, but only two of the
original 32 barracks that lined it remain, having been rebuilt to
illustrate the conditions endured by the prisoners. The original
kitchen, laundry and shower block is now a museum containing
exhibits, photographs and documents depicting the persecution of
Jews and other prisoners. The exhibitions are often very personal
and include the accounts and stories of prisoners. The memorial is
a sobering experience, and may not be suitable for young
children.

Transport: From Dachau train station take bus 726 to the main
entrance of the Memorial Site. S2 train from Munich

Opening time: Memorial/Museum open daily 9am to 5pm; Library and
Archive available by appointment only between 9am and 5pm Tuesday
to Friday.

Chiemsee

One of the most beautiful lakes in the Bavarian Alps, Chiemsee
boasts two islands and is lined with resorts. A popular weekend
excursion in Germany, it can be reached by train from Munich in an
hour, or by road via the A8 Autobahn. Visitors can take a steamer
cruise around the lake from Prien on the west shore to explore the
islands in the lake. The scenery is breathtakingly lovely and in
summer there is great swimming and sailing to enjoy, although even
in winter, when it is much less popular, the lake is beautiful.

Frauenchiemsee is the smaller island and the site of a quaint
fishing village with some colourful traditional customs, and a
Benedictine nunnery known for its liqueur. The larger island,
Herrenchiemsee, bears one of King Ludwig's famous fairy-tale
castles. This one was never completed, but was intended to be a
replica of the palace of Versailles. The centre of the palace still
stands, complete with a splendid hall of mirrors and surrounded by
gardens and woodland. It is an extremely popular tourist attraction
with its gaudy splendour and picturesque location.

For two boozy weeks towards the end September/beginning of
October each year all roads in Munich lead to the Theresienwiese, a
giant grass meadow about the size of 20 football fields near the
centre of the city. The occasion is the world's biggest party, the
Munich Oktoberfest. The field becomes a beer-drinking city,
complete with its own post office, police force and fire
department, and most importantly numerous huge tents, erected by
the various Bavarian breweries, that serve as massive beer halls.
The first keg is tapped in ceremonial style to open the two-week
celebration, which draws hundreds of thousands of revellers from
all around the world.

Apart from the rollicking beer halls where traditional Bavarian
bands belt out old favourites, the festival offers a host of
carnival games and fun park rides, as well as stalls selling a
range of German delicacies. Many people also like to dress up in
traditional Bavarian garb for the celebrations. Entry to the
enormous beer tents is free. Oktoberfest is one of the most popular
and best-known festivals in the world, and certainly the biggest
drinking festival, and flights and accommodation should be
organised far in advance to avoid disappointment.

The Opera Festival is the most important event on the Munich's
music calendar, held every summer since 1876 in one of the world's
most beautiful opera houses. Enthusiasts from around the world
gather to listen to the renowned Bavarian State Opera, with a
programme of about 70 different performances. Two free, open-air
performances are also held outside the opera house in the square.
The festival is not limited to opera and also celebrates theatre
and ballet as well as other kinds of musical performances. As the
festival is so popular and attracts so many visitors this is also
generally a boom period for arts and culture in the city as a
whole. Every year the programme changes but it is always impressive
and includes a range of styles and genres to cater to all tastes.
For information on the programme and ticket cost check out the
official website.

Visitors should be sure to bring their appetites along when
visiting Munich. Eating and drinking are extremely popular
activities in this city and travellers will be hard-pressed not to
gorge themselves. Eating out in Munich is a fun and friendly affair
and there are plenty of restaurants to choose from.

The Gaststattend restaurants (bistros) in Munich are the best
places to enjoy traditional Bavarian food and eat like a local. You
can find these bustling eateries all over the city. Of course, the
famous beer halls are great fun and are also frequented by the
locals in droves. Munich has more than one Michelin-starred
restaurant and there are many sophisticated and creative menus in
the city for discerning foodies looking for something more
high-brow than the rowdy beer tents, but Munich is actually most
celebrated for its simple Bavarian fare and jolly approach to

eating. If either your stomach or your wallet need a break from the
yummy but heavy Bavarian food, there are many Italian, Indian and
Japanese restaurants in Munich and these often provide cheaper
options.

Bavarian meals are generally meaty but vegetarians will not
starve. Specialties include leberkassemme, a spicy meatloaf, and
weisswurst, a veal sausage usually served for breakfast. Knodels
(dumplings) also feature prominently. Eating out in Munich is not
cheap - it is probably Germany's most expensive city - but there
are options for those on a budget. The portions of meat and starchy
Bavarian staples served in the beer halls and Gaststatten are
usually enormous so one meal can go a long way for hungry
travellers. Visitors also won't struggle to find restaurants in
Munich that are open late at night; some of the pubs and eateries
in the city only close at 4am.

Promising places to sniff out great local food include the
Schwabing district, which overflows with good restaurants, and the
Viktalienmarket, a square adjoining Marienplatz which hosts a large
food market.

Cafe Glockenspiel

For breath-taking views of Munich, the ideally situated and
aptly-named Café Glockenspiel overlooks the famous Glockenspiel
clock. With friendly and efficient wait staff and delicious,
wholesome fare, the café is one of the most frequented in Munich
and is a popular meeting place for locals and tourists alike and a
great location to enjoy a spot of people watching either over a
meal, sunny breakfast, coffee or after work drinks. Open daily for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bookings recommended.

A popular beer garden that sees locals mingling with
international visitors, Hirschgarten is the largest open-air
restaurant in Munich featuring hunting lodges and lakes and is an
ideal location for tourists to mingle with the locals - over a
couple (or more) of pints! Start off with potato, marjoram and
bacon soup followed by prime boiled beef with fresh horseradish and
salted boiled potatoes, or the mouth-watering roast venison from
the haunch with a mushroom and cream sauce, Swabian egg pasta and
lingonberries. For something sweet try caramelised pancake slices
with raisins and apple sauce. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and
dinner; 9am to midnight. The beer garden is open from 11am until
midnight.

Serving some of Schwabing's finest haute cuisine, and boasting
one of Munich's best chefs, the exterior of this restaurant is
misleading, but step inside and you are magically transported into
another world where fine wines and décor are accentuated with
tantalisingly tasty and attractive dishes. The menus can cover
three to eight courses and are offered for lunch and dinner. Try
the terrine of duck liver with braised figs and roasted duck
breast, or the medallion of young venison saddle with red cabbage
and semolina dumpling, and let your taste buds be thrilled by the
chocolate soufflé with marinated port wine figs and vanilla-brittle
ice cream. Perfection! Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and
dinner. Reservations essential.

Beer has been swilled at this world-famous tavern site in the
centre of Munich since it became a royal brewery in 1605. Equally
famous is the Bavarian jollity and conviviality, known as
'gemuchtlikheid', which has emanated directly from the Hofbrauhaus
in Munich along with the beer which flows freely there each day,
served by robust rosy-cheeked young women clad in Bavarian dress in
litre-sized beer steins. The cheerful atmosphere that reigns
constantly in the establishment's different halls is helped along
by the foot-tapping strains of traditional Bavarian 'oom-pah' bands
and drinking songs. When the beer becomes too much, soak it up with
a delicious salty pretzel or a German speciality from the menu,
such as liver dumplings, potato soup or a variety of delicious
sausages.

Gasthof Weichandhof is less of a tourist destination and more of
a local favourite. Situated in an old farmhouse near the autobahn,
the restaurant serves traditional Bavarian cuisine like pork
knuckles, suckling pig, and strudels. The atmosphere is always
lively, and there's a quaint vine-covered terrace open during
summer months. Gasthof Weichandhof is open Sunday to Friday from
11am to midnight, and Saturday from 5pm to midnight. Reservations
are recommended.

From bustling traditional beer halls to pumping dance clubs, the
nightlife in Munich has it all, and the mix of foreigners and
locals gives this city a welcoming cosmopolitan feel. Unlike
Frankfurt and Berlin, Munich is best known for its bars and beer
halls rather than its clubbing scene, but those in search of some
serious clubbing still won't struggle in Munich.

Those looking for a night of dancing and revelry should explore
Munich's 'party banana', which consists of Sendlinger Tor,
Karlsplatz and Odeonsplatz, where many of the city's favourite
clubs are located. Other popular nightlife districts in Munich
include Schwabing, which boasts numerous traditional Bavarian
options and lots of live music; Maxvorstand, near the university
and frequented by students; the Glockenbachviertel, popular with
the most trendy denizens of the city and home to a number of gay
and lesbian venues; and the area around the Munich East Station,
which is known to be dingy but cheap.

Travellers should note that the friendly, welcoming attitude of
the beer halls is not always matched by the more upmarket and
fashionable clubs in Munich, where would-be partiers should dress
appropriately and anticipate some selectivity from bouncers.

From international designer brands and trendy local designers to
traditional Bavarian handicrafts and wares, shopaholics can enjoy
plenty of variety in Munich. Typical Bavarian gifts include
trachten (traditional clothing) such as Lederhosen, while the most
popular souvenirs are still bierkrug (beer steins) and
pewter-ware.

The two main shopping districts are Neuhauserstrasse and
Kaufingerstrasse in Munich's historic city centre. Department and
chain stores abound in these pedestrian-only shopping areas where
everything from clothing and accessories to electrical goods and
sports equipment can be found. Head to Maximilianstrasse,
Theatinerstrasse, or Leopoldstrasse in Schwabing for independent
shops and trendy boutiques selling all the latest local designer
clothing. Second-hand stores can also be found in Schwabing and
some real gems can be found in these places if shoppers are willing
to spend time looking through the wares.

The modern Fünf Höfe shopping mall is a great place to find
everything under one roof, while the Sunday flea market at
Kunstpark Ost provides more alternative buys with second-hand
goods, antiques and old bric-a-brac lining the stall fronts. For
great food markets, the vibrant Viktualienmarkt behind Marienplatz
sells everything from cheese and spices to poultry and game. Browse
through the stalls and let your senses come alive to the fragrances
of spices and aromas of delicious fresh foods. The market is open
Monday to Friday and even features a Biergarten where weary
shoppers can take a load off, rest their legs and enjoy an ice-cold
refreshment.

Most stores are open from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 8pm, and
on Saturday until 4pm. Munich is a comparatively expensive city but
a rewarding one for shoppers.

Location: The airport is situated 18 miles (29km) northeast of the
centre of Munich.Time: GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March
and last Sunday in October).Contacts: Tel: +49 (0)89 975 00. Flight Information: +49 (0)89 975 213
13.Transfer between terminals: The Airport Shuttle Bus travels between the two terminals.Getting to the city: Frequent commuter trains run by day and most of the night to
various Munich stations, including the main stations for
connections to major European cities. The airport train station is
just outside the terminals. Taxis are available, as are buses to
many regional destinations and the main train station. It takes
about 20 minutes by train and about 45 minutes by road to reach the
city centre.Car rental: Car hire companies represented include Avis, Europcar, Hertz,
Budget and Sixt.Airport Taxis: Taxis are available from both terminals. The journey time to the
city centre is approximately 45 minutes. Facilities: The airport has several restaurants and bars, duty-free and
other shops, shower facilities and a pharmacy. ATMs and currency
exchange desks are available in Arrivals and Departures. Parking: Parking in airport lots costs between €1 and €4 for the first
hour, up to about €20 per day. Long-term parking is cheapest in
lots P41, P80 and P81. There are drop-off zones where parking is
free for the first 10 minutes. Website:www.munich-airport.de

Munich's city centre is a pedestrian zone, so many of its
attractions can be reached on foot, which is also the most pleasant
way to explore certain parts of the city. The efficient and
integrated public transport system is excellent for getting around
beyond the centre; it consists of buses, trams, the U-bahn (subway)
and the S-bahn (suburban train) that operate from about 5am to 1am,
with hourly buses and trams servicing main routes throughout the
night. Tickets must be validated on entering stations or on
boarding, are transferable between all forms of transport, and
valid for two hours after being stamped as long as one travels in
the same direction. Fares are zone based and the system is
well-organised and easy to understand. There are various day passes
available as well as the Munich CityTourCard, which covers all
transport within the city and includes discounts to the main
attractions. Taxis are safe and convenient, but expensive. You can
hire a car easily but it is often better to use public transport in
the big European cities to avoid frustration and confusion. You can
also hire bicycles at very little cost and this is a lovely way to
get around.

Munich's weather can be unpredictable. In general summers are
fairly warm and very wet, characterised by sunny weather
interspersed by dramatic thunderstorms, while winters are cold with
light snowfalls. In summer (June to August) average temperatures
range between 50°F (10°C) and 73°F (23°C), and in winter (December
to February) average temperatures range between 25°F (-4°C) and
39°F (4°C). The Alps cause two unique aberrations in Munich
weather: southwesterly winds crossing the Alps can push up
temperatures markedly even in winter; and northwesterly winds
blowing from the mountains bring unseasonably low temperatures,
rain and even snow on odd days. You can easily end up experiencing
quite a variety of weather on a stay in Munich. The most popular
time to visit is in September and October, for Oktoberfest, but
summer is the peak tourism season. Munich is really a year-round
holiday destination because so many of the city's attractions can
be enjoyed regardless of the weather.